Samsung Galaxy Note 7 seized by federal regulators

A Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been seized by federal regulators in America, pending further investigation.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, you’ll know that Samsung discontinued production of the Galaxy Note 7. The company cited that public safety is of their utmost control and, after several replacement handsets going up in flames, had no choice but to pull the plug. One such incident occurred just last week on a Southwest Airlines flight, where the device caught fire in a users hand while at the gate. The victim, Brian Green, powered down the handset before entering the plane at which point it began to smolder and melt. The plane had to be evacuated as a result.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to be investigated over safety fears

In a surprising turn of events, investigators with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) used a subpoena to seize damaged Samsung Galaxy Note 7 for further investigation. A subpoena is a request for legal documents or material, typically used to help within a court case. The CPSC is an independent American government agency that focuses on the safety of consumer products by addressing “unreasonable risks” of injury. The agency confiscated the Note 7 and sent it immediately to Bethesda, Maryland where the CPSC lab received it for further testing.

Samsung themselves will also be investigating faulty handsets to try and find the cause but it will be interesting to see what the CPSC can come up with. The investigators have called it “exigent circumstances”, as typically they would ask for permission before confiscating items.